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Ted Cruz, Greg Abbott: Obama to blame for flood of minors

Associated Press

Posted:
06/23/2014 10:53:17 AM MDT

Detainees color and draw at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing facility, Wednesday, June 18, 2014, in Brownsville,Texas. CPB provided media tours Wednesday of two locations in Brownsville and Nogales, Ariz. that have been central to processing the more than 47,000 unaccompanied children who have entered the country illegally since Oct. 1. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, Pool)

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Texas Republican leaders Ted Cruz and Greg Abbott are ramping up criticism of President Barack Obama for more than 52,000 unaccompanied minors who have poured across the southwestern border of the U.S. in recent months.

The U.S. senator and Texas attorney general on Monday toured a temporary shelter for some of the children at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. Gov. Rick Perry was scheduled later in the day to visit a similar federal holding facility in the Rio Grande Valley.

Cruz and Abbott say they were told stories of children being ordered by human traffickers to cut off fingers and ears of other kids as a way of extorting money.

Cruz blamed the surge in minors on the Obama administration and a belief they'll be granted amnesty.

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